The nitty gritty on ShopRite’s coupon policy

So, you’ve decided it’s time to trim the grocery bill, and you’re going to commit to couponing. You clip, sort and systematize, learn the lingo and match coupons to sale prices. At the register, you pass your stack to the cashier who successfully scans away. But then, there’s the dreaded beep and the coupon is tossed back at you.

It says “Do Not Double” across the top, the cashier crows, and you suddenly feel like a criminal. Only, you used the same coupon two days earlier at another store without issue, so what gives?

Now is the time to flip out … the store’s coupon policy. Most consummate coupon clippers recommend filing each store’s policy in your coupon binder. Whenever confusion arises, refer to the rules to clear up any confusion. That’s easy in theory, but a store’s coupon policy can leave you as bewildered as a bad checkout experience. It’s not always easy to decipher each store’s often convoluted coupon policy.

Just about every grocery store and mass-market retailer in the Capital Region accepts manufacturer coupons. They want you in, even if it’s with a three-inch stack of clippings. Some stores also double coupons. Some offer their own store-specific coupons. Some will accept competitor coupons. Some allow you to load e-coupons onto a loyalty card. I could go on and on.

They can be mind-numbing, but coupon policies exist to establish and maintain rules and consistency among retailers. To help clear up some confusion, I’m going to run through many local retailers’ coupon policies on-and-off over the next few weeks, starting with ShopRite.

ShopRite is a retailer’s cooperative managed by Wakefern Food Corp. There are 48 individually owned-and-operated affiliates with almost 230 stores throughout the Northeast. When it comes to coupons, policies and procedures vary from store to store.

The four Capital Region stores are owned and operated by ShopRite Supermarkets Inc. (SRS), a wholly owned subsidiary of Wakefern. SRS also operates more than two dozen other stores in the chain.

Locally, you can expect the coupon approach to be identical. Here’s the gist:

The four stores will accept manufacturer-issued, store-issued (dubbed “Super Coupons”), Internet coupons, as well as electronic coupons that are loaded onto the PricePlus club card via ShopRite.com. They will not accept competitor coupons, and they will not scan coupons loaded onto your mobile phone or electronic device.

ShopRite will also accept Catalina coupons, those receipt-like coupons printed at the register. However, store-sponsored Catalinas or manufacturer’s coupons labeled “redeemable at” with another retailer’s logo may be declined. It’s up to management’s discretion. According to Elisabeth Loeb, manager of corporate communications at ShopRite, individual store managers reserve the right to limit or refuse coupons at their discretion. “As a service to our customers, store managers try to be as accommodating as possible,” she says. “If the coupons and the purchase are within the guidelines of our policy, store managers may choose to accept them.”

Locally, ShopRite will double manufacturer coupons up to, and including, 99 cents. Store and electronic coupons will not double. All coupons $1 and over will be deducted at face value. If the coupon’s face value or multiplied value is greater than the purchase price of the item, you will not receive the overage. Customers are limited to doubling up to four identical coupons per household per day.

When it comes to stacking coupons, you can pair a store Super Coupon with a manufacturer’s coupon for added savings. Even better — and this is something I’m happy to have officially confirmed because it was a bit vague — you can combine paper and digital coupons on a single item. For instance, if you are purchasing a box of Cheerios, you can double dip and use both a manufactuer’s paper coupon and an e-coupon on that one box.

“It is a common practice for customers to combine these with paper coupons for additional savings,” says Loeb. “As long as the customer meets the purchase requirements, such combined offers are accepted in our stores. Per our policy, we reserve the right to limit coupon redemptions to four of the same coupon per household per day.”

My best shopportunities:

Perdue Monsters U chicken nuggets: On sale this week for $4.99 at Price Chopper, I used both the $1/1 Perdue nuggets coupon and one Price Chopper dollar doubler. I paid $2.99 a bag.

Playtex tampons: I picked up two 50-count boxes, priced at $7.73 at Target. I used one $3/1 Playtex Gentle Glide manufacturer coupon, and stacked one $2/1 Target store coupon. I paid $2.73 for each box.

2 Responses

I had an ecoupon on my shoprite app for 1.00 off excluding 72 ct.They had small packs on clearance for 50cents.I bought two .The coupon said nothing about clearance or trial size or anything.First they said “oh no that is for 72 count only”,I showed them the coupon where it clearly stated “excluding 72 ct”.The girl went back and said she could not honor it because the item had no barcode.When I got home I looked at the item and they had covered the barcode with their sticker.Should’nt they have scanned the barcode and minused both the clearance amount and honored my ecoupon?